Coffee and chocolate – 🩷 my first true loves 🩷. For many of us, Costa Rica instantly brings these two to mind. And once you’re there, it can be surprisingly overwhelming to decide what to taste, what to buy, and what’s actually worth bringing home as gifts.
Lucky for you, I did plenty of tasting along the way. Here’s the honest truth: Costa Rica has a lot to offer, and it took me some time (and many cups and bites) to figure out which coffees and chocolates I truly loved - and which ones didn’t quite live up to the hype.
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| Traditional Costa Rican Coffee Maker |
Coffee to Try Before You Go
🢃 Ready for a taste of Costa Rica at home? Shop these favorites on Amazon now 🢃
👏Featured Pick (If you only buy one):
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1820 Costa Rican Coffee
1820 is an everyday Costa Rican coffee: smooth, familiar, and easy to like. It’s a great low-stress way to get a “taste of the trip” at home and an easy add-to-cart choice if you just want to start your Amazon shop. We discovered 1820 Costa Rican Coffee through our Airbnb hostess, who insisted it
was a must-have and let’s just say we didn’t leave Costa Rica without
it. Made with 100% Arabica beans (a must if you want to be even a little Costa Rica coffee–snobbish). I make it in my AeroPress, and it’s perfecto!
☕ Purchase 1820 Coffee on Amazon
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| Arabica beans growing in La Fortuna |
More Costa Rican Coffees Worth Trying:
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El Rey Selecto Costa Rica Ground Premium Coffee
If you enjoy trying different coffees and want something that feels a bit more intentional, this is a nice option to explore.
Looking for packing tips before you go? Click here
I tasted this coffee on my very first morning in Costa Rica and, honestly, never found a competitor. Bernie, our hotel owner, was right - it’s the king of coffee (get it?). Smooth, rich, and exactly the kind of cup that makes you understand why Costa Rican coffee is so loved.
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| El Rey for Sale at the Pura Vida Hotel |
Learn more about chocolate & coffee tours and other must do activities in CR
Chocolate to Taste (or Bring Home)
🢃 Want a taste of Costa Rica without overthinking it? These are easy, giftable picks 🢃
Featured Pick (Crowd-pleaser):
If fruit-filled chocolate isn’t your thing (same), Café Britt also makes excellent chocolate with nuts, coffee beans, and classic flavors. These are the kinds of chocolates you see locals grabbing as gifts, not novelty candy, but genuinely good chocolate.
For people who do love fruit and chocolate together, these are fun and very Costa Rica-appropriate. Tropical flavors show up more here than in typical American chocolate, which makes them feel like part of the travel experience rather than just candy.
If you want to snack like a local, this is it. Milan Menta is one of those everyday grocery-store treats you’ll see Costa Ricans buying. It’s nostalgic in a way that makes it feel authentic, not touristy.
👉 This is the one to try if you want something locals actually eat, not just what’s marketed to visitors.
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